Madam, - Regarding Sunday's World Cup shambles, let us hope that among the many thousands of disgruntled rugby fans, there is somebody out there with the entrepreneurial spirit to launch a campaign to raise the necessary money to pay off Eddie O'Sullivan - whatever the cost. We know the IRFU haven't the courage to take this step.
Irish rugby must rid itself of a coach whose tactical ineptitude was shown up in stark fashion on Sunday, while his decision to allow Ronan O'Gara to play the full 80 minutes simply defies understanding and logic.
When it was patently obvious that Ireland had to keep the ball
in hand and test the tackle if victory was to be secured, we
indulged in a policy of kicking the ball aimlessly down the middle.
This tactic would not have been out of place in a junior friendly.
- Yours, etc,
JOHN O'SHEA,
Monkstown,
Co Dublin.
Madam, - Eddie O'Sullivan got many things wrong before and during the Rugby World Cup, notably squad selection, fringe player development, use of substitutes, squad rotation, team preparation, motivation,tactics and press communication. Apart from that, he did OK. The trouble is that he appears to have a complete lack of awareness concerning his own shortcomings and focuses exclusively on the players' shortcomings.
How badly does Ronan O' Gara need to perform before he decides
to play Paddy Wallace? How tired do players have to be before he
makes a substitution? I do wish to acknowledge a huge contribution
from our captain, Brian O'Driscoll, who, along with John Hayes,
gave 100 per cent during the campaign. It's the end of the World
Cup but not the end of the world; these players will bounce back. -
Yours, etc,
PAUL POWER,
Dublin 13.
Madam, - One wonders if the IRFU is trying to beat the FAI for
sheer ineptitude. Wales waited, saw their team booted out of the
World Cup by Fiji, and fired the coach. The Irish blazers couldn't
be bothered to wait and gave our coach a four-year extension before
a hopelessly over-coached, under-motivated and under-used squad was
booted out of the world cup by three (semi-) amateur teams and
France. Further analysis is pointless. Long live the unaccountable
bureaucrats. - Yours, etc,
DICK BARTON,
Tinahely,
Co Wicklow.
Madam, - The preliminary result of the post-mortem on Ireland's demise at the Rugby World Cup has to read: expired following fatal mauling by Pumas, due in large part to neglect and lack of management in care. Arguably the most talented Irish team ever has been humiliated in the tournament and only a change of management can start the healing process for both team and followers.
When the manager was given a new contract before heading for
France, it caused a bout of hallucinations, with him talking of
taking a break to manage the Lions. Unfortunately, there are no
vacancies in the zoo or in the circus but there may be room for a
clown or two. It is time for the manager and his ringmasters in the
IRFU to do the honourable thing. - Yours, etc.
JOHN LUCEY,
Dukesmeadows,
Kilkenny.
Madam, - Two irrefutable tenets of rugby any schoolboy will know but Ireland seem to have forgotten: You cannot score tries if you don't have possession. You cannot score tries playing in your own 22.
Any instruction manual of basic doctrine would also include the following items: When kicking for touch, be sure to make touch. When attacking, run from deep on to the ball, preferably catching it. Run with the ball held horizontally (in the crook of your elbow); it is virtually impossible to have it prised out.
We constantly gave away possession, passed forward, knocked on
or missed touch. It is pointless to pursue complex stratagems when
the fundamentals are wanting. I would be delighted to teach the
Irish players these skills, and for half of Eddie O'Sullivan's
current stipend. So too, I imagine, would many boys at Blackrock
and Gonzaga colleges. - Yours, etc,
DAVID KENNEDY,
Tarragona,
Spain.
Madam, - The Irish public reacts strangely when things are not right. Irish rugby does badly? Sack the manager, is the call. Irish soccer does badly? Sack the manager.
The leader of the Government confirms that he received money while in government. He is re-elected.
Funny old country, is Ireland. - Yours, etc,
TOMMY MORRIS,
Castletown,
Co Kildare.
Madam, - "We'll always have Paris." - so said Humphrey Bogart to
Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca. Irish Rugby fans will feel
differently, of course, but then again we'll always have Croke
Park, February 24th, 2007, so memorably captured by one of your
photographers with Paul O' Connell towering above the lineout. -
Yours, etc,
Rev VAL FARRELL,
Blackpool,
England.
Madam, - Plastered in Paris! - Yours, etc,
OLIVER McGRANE,
Marley Avenue,
Dublin 16.